Electrical connection



J1me 1935- w. MCGINNIS ET AL ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Filed July 21, 195? 520 Walter M 010 may Zebuion Wat, @ZWJZ 252w, M/YM Patented June 4, 1935 I UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Walter McGinnis, Eagle Rock, and Zebulon Witt, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 21, 1932, Serial No. 623,734

lClaim. (Cl. 173-259) The present invention relates to terminal conclamping members I! and I! which are shaped nections for electrical cables such as are used to fit tightly about an ordinary binding post I. with wet batteries in joining or clamping such Each of these clamping members has a lug a cable to a battery binding post. I and I6, respectively, which is apertured to 5 Connections of this type are ordinarily proreceive a bolt l1. In the embodiment of the in- 5 vided with a cable insert and with clamping ve tion as disclosed in the drawing, 1 18 I5 members which may be placed about a battery has a smooth bored aperture through which exbinding post or other electrical contact and tends bolt IT. This bolt is rotatably mounted secured thereto. For ease of manipulation these in the lug l6 aperture and held therein by means connections are usually made from a soft metal of a bushing l8 which is rigidly amxed to said 10 alloy so that the clamping members may be bolt adjacent lug IS in any desirable manner, easily spread apart and readily removed from such as by welding or by pins 20. The aperture the binding post. In order to hold the clamping in lug I5 is threaded to form a receptive means members contracted about a binding post a bolt for the threaded end IQ of the bolt. The aperis usually thrust through the clamping members ture in lug It has, preferably, a smooth bore to 15 and the desired contraction secured by screwafford easy rotation therein for the bolt I'I. ing a nut upon the threaded end of the bolt. By tightening the bolt into the threaded ap- Because of the soft metals from which these erture in lug I5 the mp ng members are connections are ordinarily made, they are subcontracted about the binding post l4. Upon ject to corrosion and oxidation, especially from reversing the ti h n movement of this bolt, 20 the action of acids used in batteries. This freto loosen the same, it is evident that the clampquently results in one clamping member becommembers must be p d a ay from the ing frozen to the other member because of this binding D0517 s t e bolt 11 is Withdrawn from chemical activity, so that, even with removal of the 8 l5 p e In O der to facilitate the bolt, the clamping members cannot be sepmovement this b the head adjacent 111g 25 arated from the binding post without the use of "5' may be of any desirable size or shap to some too] to pry them apart, Consequently, interfit With an ordinary wrench. By this IIOVGI binding posts, battery plates, and even the conmeans We do y with the ec ty of renections themselves are often badly damaged in moving the bolt from the a pin members the removal of these connections. in order to expand the same and afford a sim- .30

A principal object of the present invention is plified od of spreadin t e C a p memto provide means not only to contract the clampe While loosening the bolting members about a binding post but to expa In order to facilitate the removal of the clamp th clamping b r r force th away we prefer to make the same from a soft metal from the battery posts by a simple manipulation alloy 50 a the Clamping members y e 35 so that the connections may be removed with Spread leedilythe connection may be ease and th t danger of injury t it th made from two pieces interlocking at the base battery or th connection, of the clamping members I2 and I3.

These and other objects will become apparent a pin m m s a d 3 p ef rably are 40 from a consideration of the following descrip- Semi-circular in shape 50 as to p ly en- 40 tion and accompanying drawing, in which close a binding post when contracted. Lugs l5 Fi 1 i plan i of a, n ti n howing and I6 preferably extend outwardly from said a bolt inserted through the clamping members clamping members on diametrically opposite and holding t in contracted relationship; sides of the same and tangential thereto. With Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 w t t this construction lugs l5 and I6 are substan- 45 h n; d; I tially spaced apart allowing ample room for Fig. 3 is a cross section of the connection the bushing I8 therebetween- The pa of viewed on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. the lugs in this manner likewise insures maxi- Fi 4 and 5 are ti nal views of modified mum contraction of the clamping members since forms of the invention; and their semi-circular configuration forces them to 50 Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 lose ti htly prior to any possib meeting of of Fig. 4. lugs l5 and It.

The connection of the present invention com- Cable insert Il may be of any desired shape prises body portion l0 which has the usual cable according to the requirements of the cable ter- 65 insert II and the outwardly bowed binding post minal and may be so placed upon the connec- Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Fig. 4 discloses a modification in which the body portion is divided into two parts, the division being made at the base of the clamping members l2 and I3. Clamping member I3 is made separate'from the remainder of the body portion and has a rearwardly extending projection 25 which is adapted to fit into a hook-like portion 26 of the body and which is provided with a receiving groove 21 for holding the projection 25. The projection 25 at its base 28 should fit snugly within the groove 21 but may decrease in size at its extremity 29 to provide a pivot for the clamping member. The clamping member l3 may be aiiixed to the body portion It) prior to the placing of the connection about a binding post, or, after the body portion has been placed about a post, clamping member l3 may be slid down over the post into its proper position.

A further modification may be seen in the means for contracting and expanding the clamping members. The apertures in lugs l5 and I 6 are provided with left hand and right hand threads respectively to receive a bolt I! having threaded end members for coacting with these threaded apertures. Obviously, the turning of the bolt H in one direction within these apertures will contract the clamping members, and a reversal of the bolt movement will expand the same. An opening 30 may be made through the center of the bolt, and radial thereto, to provide for the insertion of a pin for ease of turning the same. Other means such as a nut or pin may be provided in lieu of the hole 30.

If desired, the extremity 29 of the projection may be rounded as shown in Fig. 6 so as to facilitate ease in assembling the connection. This permits the part insertion of the threaded bolt I'I within each of the lug apertures before engaging the projection 25 within the groove 21. Clamping member l3 may then be swung into its proper position using bolt I! as a pivot. In order to secure a tight fit within the groove 21 of projection 25, the rounded extremity 29 should describe an arc the radius of which will extend from the center of the lug apertures to the midpoint of the groove 21. By so constructing the projection 25, clamping member 13 may easily swing into and out of engagement with the remainder of the body portion and about the partially engaged bolt I1 as a pivot.

Fig. 5 discloses a still further modification of the present invention in which a portion of the connection is utilized both for supplying the cable insert and for one of the clamping member lugs. As is seen in the drawing, the body portion comprises a combination cable insert and clamping member in which is included the cable insert H, the clamping member I2 and the clamping lug l5. Outwardly from this body portion extends the circular clamping member l3 having its clamping lug I6.

The clamping members maybe contracted and expanded in the manner heretofore described or a further modification, as disclosed in Fig. 5, may be employed. Bolt I1 is provided with a circumferential channel 36 adjacent its head. The aperture in lug I 6 is provided with a smooth bore to receive this channeled portion of the bolt and is rotatably but fixedly mounted therein by means of a pin 31 which extends downwardly through lug l6 and rides in the channel 36 within the lug aperture. The aperture in lug I5 is threaded as in Fig. 1 to receive the threaded end IQ of the bolt. The contraction and expansion of the clamping members will result by the turning or reversing of the bolt in the apertures as has heretofore been described.

Certain embodiments of the present invention have been set forth herein for the purpose of exemplification, but the invention may be used in other structurally modified forms coming equally within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

A battery connection, comprising a body portion having a cable connection, a battery terminal clamping member on said body portion, a hook-like keeper member on said body portion, a second and separate clamping member having a flange for engaging said keeper member, and a clamping rod having oppositely threaded ends engaging complementary female threads in the clamping member on said body portion and in said separate clamping member respectively, said rod being provided with intermediate means for permitting rotation of said lug, and said second clamping member being rotatable about said rod into position in engagement with said keeper.

WALTER, McGINN'IS. ZEBULON WIRT. 

